Why Man United fan Rory McIlroy was once forced into wearing a Liverpool shirt in public

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If there’s one English club who can rival Liverpool for worldwide supporter base, it’s Manchester United.

United may be at a particularly low ebb at the moment, but the Red Devils are still arguably the best supported club in the country.

One man who has nailed his colours to the United mast is professional golfer Rory McIlroy.

McIlroy is the man of the moment right now having won his first ever US Masters tournament on Monday morning.

The win confirmed the Northern Irishman’s status as one of the best ever in his sport as he became just the sixth male golfer in history to complete a career grand slam.

But while McIlroy obviously loves his golf, he is also a big football fan. And as a loyal United man, he once committed the ultimate sin: donning a Liverpool shirt in public.

Why did Rory McIlroy wear a Liverpool shirt?

As United supporters watched their team succumb to a poor 4-1 loss against Newcastle on Sunday, golf lovers across the fanbase could at least celebrate as one of their own won at Augusta.

As much of a United fan as McIlroy is, though, he once lost a bet with TV presenter Patrick Kielty to wear a Liverpool training top at Royal County Down.

As seen on The Late Late Show in September 2024, Kielty made the bet with McIlroy while the two engaged in a putting contest during a segment for TV.

“Maybe we should play for something?” posed the presenter, pulling out a Liverpool top. “You know, as two Manchester United fans, maybe, you know, the loser has to put this on.”

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“Oh my goodness. Yes, absolutely,” replied McIlroy, before adding. “In fairness, I would probably rather be a Liverpool fan at the minute!”

With Kielty surprisingly going on to beat the professional at his own game, the famous United fan honoured his bet. “Oh my goodness. That is so bad, so bad,” McIlroy cried as he lifted the shirt over his head. Happy to have you, Rory!

Do any golfers support Liverpool?

With the Masters going on this weekend, golf has been on the brain for much of the population.

But while United can claim the main man, Liverpool are also represented by one of the golfers who competed at Augusta.

English golfer Tyrrell Hatton is a self-confessed Reds obsessive, claiming in a 2024 interview with The Athletic that he’s even become friends with former Liverpool vice-captain James Milner.

“James is the one who I had a good relationship with because we’ve played a lot of golf together,” he said.

“His professionalism is inspirational. I used to go and support him and the team whenever I could, but with the golf schedule, it’s hard to get to games. A lot of the time, I just have to watch the highlights and read about the team.”